A post-doctoral modeller, with experience of modelling animal behaviour and ecological systems, is required to join Dr Juliet Osborne's Pollinator Research group, within the Plant & Invertebrate Ecology Department at Rothamsted Research. The post holder will work on a new project entitled 'Honeybee population dynamics: Integrating the effects of factors within the hive and in the landscape' which is an Industrial Partnership Award, jointly funded by the BBSRC, NERC and Syngenta. The aim of the project is to explore and make predictions about the relative importance of, and interactions between, the multitude of factors that affect honeybee colony strength and survival in arable landscapes. This will be done with a combination of modelling and empirical evidence.
The postholder will be appointed to design and build models of honeybee colony survival and forager distribution in the landscape. This will involve complex programming and pattern analysis. It will also involve a survey and review of existing data sets and models. The postholder will liaise with the project partners: Dr Pernille Thorbek (Ecological modeller at Syngenta), Dr Volker Grimm (Ecological modeller at Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Leipzig), Dr Dave Chandler (Pathologist at Univ. Warwick) and international collaborating bee scientists.
We are searching for an experienced post-doctoral researcher who can work independently. Candidates should be highly motivated, creative and capable of contributing productively as part of a team with an enthusiasm to work with international collaborators. Applicants will possess a degree and a PhD (or equivalent experience) in mathematical and/or computational modelling. They should have an excellent track record and experience of individual-based model formulation, implementation and model analysis and validation. Knowledge of bee biology and diseases and of GIS mapping programmes would be advantageous.
Dr Juliet Osborne leads the Pollinator Research Group, and has over 15 years experience of bee ecology, behaviour and pollination. Rothamsted Research is a BBSRC funded Institute, renowned nationally and internationally for its research in arable ecosystems and for its multidisciplinary expertise and emphasis on interaction across the full range of scientific disciplines.
The post is funded for 36 months, starting on 1 Nov 2009, at Band D-PD. The appointment is full time with a starting salary of £26,610 to £29,566 per annum.
To apply, click on the button below for an application form and return to the HR Group, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Herts, AL5 2JQ (e-mail rres.hr@bbsrc.ac.uk).
Please quote reference 1115
Closing date: 15 October 2009
